Sprocket wheel and chain



-- Patented -Sept. 16, 19 24.

. UN TE RANK p c-1.1a,

, or waneslt, nqnmam.

sraocm wnnnn AND calm.

Application filed U28, 1923. Serial No. 653,962.

The s rocket wheel embodies a hub "1,

To all may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK DmHL, a citi- 4 zen of the United States, residingat Wa- 7 Patent No.

bash, in the county of- Wabash and State of Indiana,--have invented a new and useful Sprocket Wheel and Chain, of which the following is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this ap lication isna sprocket wheel and chain, t e device beingof peculiar utility for use in connection with a wood-working machine of that eneral sort shown in my 816,0%9 granted'qn March 27, 1906. v

The invention aims to provide novel means whereby an operative connection between the s rocket wheel and achain may be efi'ective at a point midway between the ends of the s ocket wheel, novel means being provide supporting the chain against downward movement and the construction beingsuch that each link of the chain will be supported intermediate its ends, as the chain traverses the sprocket wheell g It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains,

With the above and other objects in view,

' which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed, changes in the precise emb 05mm of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

' In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 shows in top plan, a device constructed in accordance with the invention, the shaft being in section; Figure 2 is a section on the line 2 -2 of Figure 1, remote parts being omitted;-Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a plan showing one of the links of the sprocket chain; and Figure 5 is a side elevation of the I link depicted in Figure 4.

The sprocket wheel forming the subject matter of this application operates horizontally and may either be connected to a driven shaft, or be mounted to run freely, as an idler, depending iron the end of the machine shown in my ate'ntNd 816,- 07 9 to which the invention is applied,

on the. sprocket wheel for,

.wheel. the sprocket wheel and the shaft may be 'rovide with anoutstanding circular top ange 2 and with an outstanding circular bottom flange 3 the flanges 2 and 3 being of approximately the same diameter, the flange 3 having an outstanding annular lip 4. he huh I carries an intermediate flange 5, located between theflanges 2 and 3, and of slightly less diameter than the flanges 2 and 3, as indicated in Figure 3., The intermediate flange 5 has outstanding teeth 6 which may project slightly beyond the flanges 3 and 2, as shown in Figure 3, the teeth 6 being equipped in their outer ends with seats 7 The numeral 8 marks a shaft received in the hub 1 of the sprocket wheel and, as shown in the drawings, connected to the sprocket wheel by a key and keyway 9, together with a set screw 10, which is threaded into the hub of the sprocket The particular connection between altered, of course, depending upon whether the sprocket wheel is a driving wheel or a driven wheel.

The sprocket chain is made up of links,

each comprising a body 11 and ears 12 and.

M at. the ends of the body, the outer surfaces of the ears 12 being approximately flush with the outer side surfaces of the body and the cars 14 being set inwardly from the outer side surfaces of the body to suchan extent that the cars it on one link may be,

' the body 10 is cut away, between the ears 12-12 and 14-14, along inwardly convergin lines, to form recesses 18.

n practical operation, the chain is supported on'the annular lip 4 of the horizontal sprocket wheel as shown in Figure 2. The

anti-friction rollers 17 of the srocke't chain are received in the seats 7 of to teeth 6 of the sprocket wheel, and, thus, motion is imi parted from the sprocket wheel to the chain, or from the chain to the sprocket wheel, dc= pending upon whether the sprocket wheel is a driving element or a driven element. The

recesses 18 at the ends ofadjoining links of t the sprocket chain receive the spr'ocket'teeth 6, as shown in Figure 3. As the chain moves about the sprocket wheel, the intermediate portions of the links of the chain bear against the peripheries of the flanges 2 and 3 of the sprocket wheel, as shown clearly in Figure 3. llt is to be observed that the drive occurs intermediate the ends of the sprocket wheel, where the teeth 6 cooperate with the rollers 17 of the s rocket chain. This circumstance, couple with the further fact that the chain is supported on the lip l renders the device peculiarly eficient and gives it strength. As shown in Figure 3,

each link, of the chain is supported at its ends by engaging with the teeth of the sprocket wheel, and, intermediate its ends, each link of the chain traversing the wheel is supported on. the edges or the flanges 2 and 3. The advantages of such a construction are obvious.

Owing to the presence of the rollers 17, the device will operate without much triction. lhe device, further, renders unnecessary the .use of a sprocket wheel havin an octagonal or other polygonal outline an the sprocket chain, as it cooperates with the periphery of the s rocket wheel approaches the semi-circular orm very closely, as Figure 3 will show.

' What is claimed is: i 1. A sprocket wheel adapted to be mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, and

comprising a hub having upper and lower flanges, the hub bein provided with an intermediate driving ange located between the upper and lower flanges, the lower flange being oil-set to form a chain-supporting lip.

2. A device of the class described, conneonate strncted as set forth in'claim 1, and further characterized by the provision of a chain supported on the lip, the chain comprising links engaged intermediate their ends with the edges of the upper and lower flanges, as the chain traverses the wheel, pivot elements connecting the links, and anti-friction devices "on the pivot elements, the driving flange having seats for the reception of the anti-friction devices.

3. In a device of the class described, a sprocket wheel adapted to be mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, and comprising a hub having upper'and lower flanges, the hub bein providedwith an intermediate driving ange', located between the upper and lower flanges, the driving flange having teeth provided with seats, the lower flange being oflset to form a supporting lip,

FRANK DIEHL. Witnesses: RALPH A. B'rr,

HELEN 1L. (liner, 

